A little bit of sunshine

I know I haven't published a blog for a long time, but here goes:

Geckos are small colourful lizards found in tropical countries.

They seem to smile and their antics can be quite hilarious.

My sketch below:

They are usually nocturnal creatures, but on my recent trip to Hawaii I saw lots that were active during the daytime.

They bask in the early morning sunshine, but are wary of movement close by and alert for the presence of the resident cats.

I don't know the name of this tree but the flowers are very popular with small birds and if you look carefully you will also see at least two geckos:

When I took this picture I didn't realise the geckos were on the flower; it was when I reviewed my pictures that I spotted them. I think it is the nectar that attracts them, they also eat fruit, small insects and worms.

Here is a larger picture:

And one more:

These gekkos are bright greens with red markings, they stand out against the side of the building but blend into the foliage very well.

Here is a gecko napping in the afternoon sun, one eye a little bit open, just in case.

The long tail helps it balance but it also has small "hooks" on its toes that act like suction cups and allow it to walk (cling) almost anywhere. They are quite adept at running across the ceiling.

So I had become accustomed to seeing them almost anywhere.

BUT..

one afternoon after a brief cloudburst I returned to our rental car and looked up to see a gecko on my windscreen licking up the raindrops. 

I gawked for some time before I thought of getting out my phone to record the performance.

Island life is relaxing and there was no rush, so I let the gecko "finish" cleaning up the windscreen and move on before I started the car with a big grin on my face.

Here is my video, "Hawaiian Windscreen Wiper":

Editing this was a real challenge, but I am happy with how it turned out.

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Here are two recent watercolour paintings:

Evening Kayaks:

"Lantern among the Ferns":

That's all I have for you today, happy Wednesday,

with whimsy,

Gillian.

Turtle love

Green Sea turtles are the largest hard shell sea turtles. Sightings are not rare in Hawaii, but neither are they abundant; I was excited every time I encountered one of these gentle creatures.

 

 

They can be seen in the water around reefs, grazing on algae in shallow water or on the shoreline soaking up some sunshine.

 

 

 

"The green turtle is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. In 1978, the Hawaiian population of the green turtle was listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973. "

 

"Green turtles were a source of food, tools, and ornamentation for early Hawaiians. With the arrival of western culture, however, the level of exploitation of this resource increased dramatically. Large numbers of green turtles were harvested throughout the Hawaiian Islands through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1974, the State of Hawaii finally passed a regulation providing some protection, but this was virtually ignored until 1978, when the Hawaiian green turtle was placed on the list of threatened species."


"In other parts of the world, green turtles face a serious threat from the destruction and loss of nesting sites. Fortunately, over 90% of nesting activity for the Hawaiian green turtle population occurs at the French Frigate Shoals, inside a National Wildlife Refuge System administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This, combined with its threatened status under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, has created an environment in which the Hawaiian green turtle should prosper."

http://www.turtles.org/hawgrnd.htm

 

 

I was pleased to get several videos of turtles. here are my you tube videos of turtles:

 

 

Eating:

 

 

Swimming:

 

 

Swimming:

 

 

 

Moving up the beach:

 

 

 

This is a longer video and at the end the turtle yawns (I think)?

 

 

 

That is it for turtles today.

 

I have been busy very busy painting and gardening recently, the garden is coming along, now just need some slightly warmer weather.

 

 

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I have completed a number of paintings, unfortunately I have only photographed one of them.

 

Here it is "Notre Dame Watcher":

 

It is a painting (watercolour) of a grotesque or chimera, most would recognize it as a gargoyle but since it does not drain rain water it isn't a true gargoyle. This one is high up on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

 

 

 

It is an odd bird or penguin like creature in a shroud.

 

 

Thanks for dropping by, happy Wednesday,

 

with whimsy,

 

Gillian.